Analysis: Conor Hourihane late show must be a turning point for Aston Villa and Steve Bruce

In the short-term, the midfielder’s stunning 93rd-minute free-kick salvaged his team a point at Blackburn and ensured Bruce, while still under considerable pressure, is not facing quite the same level of scrutiny a defeat would undoubtedly have delivered.

Perhaps, in the weeks and months from now, Hourihane’s goal will be looked back on as the moment a campaign which had begun to drift received a much-needed shot in the arm.

That is certainly the opportunity which presents itself to Villa now, as they prepare for back-to-back home games, starting with tomorrow night’s visit of a Rotherham United side yet to pick up a point on their travels.

Rather than approach the fixture in the doldrums after a third straight defeat, Villa do so fresh from the euphoria of their third stoppage-time goal in just seven Championship games, with the upper reaches of the division still well within sight after a weekend when they lost no further ground on the contenders.

The three late goals have been worth five points, exactly half of their total to this point. If nothing else, such a statistic says plenty about the never-say-die spirit which has seen Villa churn out results despite so many components of their team misfiring.

Saturday was no different in that respect. Bruce was correct to say Villa didn’t deserve to lose. But neither did they deserve to win and the manager must surely know far, far better will be required – and quickly – if they are to be considered serious challengers for promotion.

It would be a stretch to say Hourihane’s intervention brought Bruce back from the brink.

Barring a repeat of the 4-1 shellacking suffered at Sheffield United prior to the international break, he was always likely to be in charge on Tuesday night, no matter the result at Ewood Park.

The late goal did, however, kill the immediate murmurings of mutiny on the terraces. Had Hourihane’s free-kick flown wide of the post, then those among the 4,000-strong travelling support who had called for Bruce’s head when Villa trailed would surely have done so again at the final whistle, perhaps in even greater number.

This was the second game running fans have openly voiced dissent. There can no longer be any hiding from the fact fan dissatisfaction with the manager is at its highest since he walked through the doors of Villa Park nearly two years ago.

Bruce, when quizzed on the chants after the game, remained typically bullish. Yet he has been in the game long enough to know the patience in the boardroom rarely outlasts that in the stands by any great distance.

What Hourihane’s goal could not disguise was this was another game when Villa’s overall performance fell well below par.

Bruce remains adamant that, given a little more time, his team will begin to look the sum of its much-vaunted parts. Saturday’s showing provided, at best, only marginal encouragement he yet knows how to get the most effective mix from the ingredients at his disposal.

A midfield featuring Jack Grealish and John McGinn should certainly be creating more havoc for opponents than they are currently managing. Both individually had their moments at Ewood Park, but a partnership which initially looked promising when McGinn arrived a little more than a month ago is still to really spark.

McGinn’s determination and non-stop running ensured he was involved in the first-half’s major talking point when, after robbing Lenihan, he was rather crudely upended by Richie Smallwood.

Referee Stephen Martin, remarkably, chose not to award the penalty, though he also decided McGinn hadn’t dived and declined to show the Scot what would have been his second yellow card.

Bruce later blasted the decision as ‘ridiculous’ though Villa could not complain too much about the officiating, given Bradley Dack had also seen a header wrongly ruled out for offside.

Grealish’s most eye-catching work, meanwhile, came in the shape of some key tackles and interceptions well inside his own half. While that might speak volumes about the 22-year-old’s continued commitment to the cause, it is not where he should be having his biggest impact.

The positives for Villa included a reworked defence which, while a long way from watertight, at least looked steadier than in previous weeks. Axel Tuanzebe, who replaced Mile Jedinak alongside James Chester in the heart of the back four, recovered from an unsteady start to enjoy a relatively solid evening.

The Manchester United loanee was saved from scoring an embarrassing own goal by the reflexes of goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, who perhaps buoyed by the early save went about his own work with greater confidence.

Arguably the brightest spark for Villa was Tammy Abraham. The striker didn’t net a debut goal but he looked lively, testing Rovers keeper David Raya with a first-half header before sending another off target after the break.

He was then involved in Villa’s best move of the match, exchanging passes with substitute Jonathan Kodjia before driving just wide of the target.

Had he placed the shot a foot or so to the left it might have well signalled a fairytale start. As it was, Dack showed quick feet to deftly redirect Danny Graham’s shot inside the near post and send Villa hurtling toward defeat before Hourihane’s late heroics.

For the player, the goal was a timely reminder of his own talents after a frustrating time out of the team. For his manager, it must soon come to represent so much more.